Aircraft



@ct. 24, 1939. .1. w. JACKSON AIRCRAFT Filed Nov. 18, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor J. W. JACKSON AIRCRAFT Filed Nov. 18, 1936 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Get. 24, 1939.

J. w. JACKSON 2,176,904

AIRCRAFT Filed Nov. 18, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 [nvenlor Get. 24, 1939. J w, JACKSON I 2,176,904

AIRCRAFT Filed Nov. 18, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A It ormzgr Patent car. as, taco Zjldfiti Uhilh Silh F'lh 'l FFKCE AIRCRAFT John W. Jackson, Glen Allen, Va, assignor of one-half to Emory D. Erwin, RichmbndQVa. Application November 18, 1936, Serial No. 111,509

2.Claims.- (Cl. 244-40) This invention-relates to improvements in airshown in Figure 10, these wings include the craft, the gen r l o je f h inv ti n being downwardly and forwardly sloping'solid member to provide means for creating lifting power, and I, the top covering or foil 2 and the under covercontrol regardless of forward motion; to practiing or screen 3. As will be seen, the top covering cally eliminate resistance to the forward movehas its front portion curving downwardly and ment of thecraft; and to providea craft that is forwardly to form the major portion of the front capable of hovering. of the wing, and the member 3 has its rear part Other objects of the invention are to provide sloping upwardly and rearwardly. .The covering means whereby many of the dangers in the op- 2 is formed of any suitable material, preferably T 143 eration of aircraft are overcome, the speed of the supported on the tubes 4, so that exhaust gases craft is materially increased and it has greater or the like can be passed through these tubes to carrying capacity per unit of energy expended, prevent accumulation of ice and snow, and the and to protect the craft from ice and snow acfoil 2 is formed with a multiplicity of openings cumulations. for the admission of air, these openings prefer- Another object of the invention is to provide ably being formed of curved conduits 5, which 15 l an automatic stabilizer means. extend towards the fuselage so that air can enter The invention providesincreased wing area by the conduits but rain cannot.

overcoming the resistance to the forward move- A large opening 6 is formed in the member I, ment of the device and this aflords ample wing above the fuselage, and a fan F is located below surface to glide the plane or to parachute it to said opening, so that when the fan is in operathe earth with safety in the event of engine tion, it will draw air through the perforations or trouble. openings inthe top covering and through the This invention also consists in certain other opening into the space between the members 1 features of construction and in the combination and 3 and the air, rushing in through the top and arrangement of the several parts, to be heremember and being forced out through the screen inafter fully described, illustrated in the accomor the bottom member, creates a minus pressure panying drawings and specifically pointed out in on the top of the wing and a plus pressure on the appended claims. the bottom thereof; The fan is driven by any E In describing the invention in detail, reference suitable type of motor M and a shutter l is pro- I will be had to the accompanying drawings wherevided for closing the opening 6 when the fan is I in like characters denote like orcorresponding not in operation, th shutter being moved.to parts throughout the several views, and in which: closing position by a spring 8 which is so formed Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view of a -that when the fan is in operation, the shutter l plane constructed in accordance with the inwill be moved to open position, so that air can vention, with parts broken away. pass through the opening 6. Figure 2 isa vertical longitudinal sectional A conduit 9 is located above therear portion view through Figure l. of the fuselage and has its front end connected Figure 3 is an elevation of the craft. with the space between the members i and 3, Figure i is a front view thereof. so that some of the air from the fan will be Figure 5 is a vertical detailedsectional view. forced through said conduit-and a rudder air Figure 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view. duct ill extends upwardly and rearwardly from Figure I is a fragmentary detailed view or the the rear portion of the conduit 9, so that the air 4 top part of the wing structure. 7 from this duct Ill will act on the rudder ll. Figure 8 is a sectional view of the stabilizer. The elevator i2 is pivoted at the outlet of the Figure 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Figure 8. conduit 9, and these members H and 12 are so Figure 10 is a section on line Ill-I0 of Figure 1. arranged that when in neutral position they al- Figure 11 is a horizontal sectional view showing most close the outlets, (see Fig. 11) but admit a how a rudder controls an air outlet ribbon-like current of air against the inclined In these drawings, the letter A indicates the sides of the rudders when the rudders are moved i fuselage which is provided with any suitable form a in either direction. This affords control regardl oflanding gear a and b and it is provided with less of motion of the plane. The casing or conthe cabin or cockpit c in its front end. The wings are shown at B and each wing is preferably of cross sectional shape shown in Figure 10. As

the shapeshown'in Figures 3 and 4, and the.

duit 9 'iiares rearwardly, while the fuselage tapers rearwardly so that the sides of the conduit 8 form a set of side fins under which are mounted a pair of wings l3 tapering forwardly and each pivoted at the front or small end, as shown at [4,-

so that said wings can swing inwardly and outwardly and this movement of the wings is controlled by an automatic device illustrated in. Figures 8 and 9 and consisting of a substantially triangular-shaped .caslng l containing glycerine or the like and having a swinging member l6 therein pivoted at its upper end in the upper part of the casing I5, as shown at H. This member assumes a vertical position under the action of gravity so that when the plane tilts, the member l6, through the connection shown generally at l8, will operate a pulley 19 over which a belt 20 passes, the belt also passing over an idle pulley 2|. A portion of the belt is connected by the member 22 and the links 23 to the Wings 13.

A by-pass 24 connects the casing lEjat one side of the member l6, with a part of the casing at the other side thereof, and the by-pass is con trolled by the gate valve 25. This arrangement prevents undue swinging movement of the member or pendulum l8.

Since the member I is inclined toward the direction of travel of the craft, at an angle of approximately the transfer of air from above it to the other side thereof, will supply both lifting power and forward motive power, and in order to regulate the minus pressures above the wings so as to vary one relative to the other, a member 26 is located above the opening 6 and is pivoted at its rear end, as shown at 21 in Fig-r does not create resistance to the movement of r the wing. I The member 1, closing the opening 6 when the fan is not in motion, will prevent backward flow of air when gliding or making landings with a dead motor.

In case of motor failure, a portion of the air compressed under the intermediate member I, will be conveyed to the rudders so that the craft can be landed without damage.

When the motor is started with the plane on the ground, the nose of the plane will be elevated ten or twelve degrees above its flying position, thus all motive power (with the exception of that going to the tail controls) are perpendicular. This is also the hovering position of the plane.

Before the motor is started, shutter i will be held by the delicate spring in the upward position. When the fan is put into motion, a vacuum is created on the underside of shutter 1 thus forcing it downward until it rests on the spokes of the fan arms. As the motor is increased in speed, the minus pressure above and the plus pressure beneath, increase in proportion to the fan speed. This also starts the current of air flowing thru the air ducts-to the tail controls. At this time, the tail may be elevated to flying position and the take-off made in the usual manner, or a perpendicular ascent may be made until the desired altitude is obtained. The tail may be elevated to the flying position thus changing the angle of the plane and giving it its forward draught.

In flight, the plane will be operated and controlled in the usual manner.

A landing may be made in the usual manner, or by bringing the plane to a hovering position and reducing the motor speed to such a degree as to give a gentle descent.

In case of fog over a landing field, a gentle vertical descent may be made with one hand on the engine throttle and if danger is observed below, a mere increase in the engine speed will change the descent into an ascent and the pilot can move off and try again.

In making a vertical landing, with a dead motor, a part of the air pressure created under the wings is conveyed to the tail controls by means of ducts 8 and 9, thus enabling a lateral balance by use of the elevator. In substantially all former heavier than air devices of this class, all lifting power is created by the motion of the device (with the exception of the autogyro which has a dual lifting means). The wings being so disposed on an angle to the line of movement that rapid movement through the air causes a plus air pressure on the under side and to the front or the wing, a minus pressure on the top and to the back of the wing, or both.

It will readily be seen that all plus pressures in front of the wing, and all minus pressures to the back thereof, sets up a tremendous resistance to the forward movement of the wing.

It will be seen by a study of the present invention, that this resistance is not only overcome, but is converted into a forward propelling power, this being accomplished by a change of the plus pressures from the bottom and front of the wing to the bottom and back, and the minus pressures from the top and back to the top and front of the wing respectively.

In this device, the said forward propelling power supplies the forward motive power. A

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: i

1. In a flying device, the combination of a hollow wing structure formed with two members having an air space therebetween, one of the members-having upwardly extending louvres extending transversely across the top and opening at their upper edge toward the middle of the flying device and the other oblique to the plane of the wing, and mechanical means for-drawing air through said louvres and reducing the air pressure between the two members and discharging air against the under side of the oblique member.

2. In a flying device, the combination of a wing structure formed with two members having an air space therebetween, raised louvres extending transversely across the top of the upper member and opening at their upper edge toward the center of the flying device, and the other oblique to the plane of the wing, and m hanical means for drawing air through said louvres and through said air space and discharging such air against the under face of the oblique member.

JOHN W. JACKSON. 

